“I Follow The OD Process To The T”
Being a DEI professional, who is also pursuing a PhD in diversity and inclusion, Danish Shaikh strives to help create a psychologically safe environment for everyone to flourish. “I actively work towards removing biases that are inherent within organisational policies and processes and well as those lived by leaders. That’s the legacy I would like to leave behind,” he emphasises.
He adds, “I think that a lot of individuals at the workplace need that extra support or even just a soundboard to bounce of their thoughts. As an ICF Certified Coach, I strive to support anyone at the workplace who may have these needs by offering pro bono coaching hours.”
Efficient and effective functioning of an organisation is an important priority area for him, and to achieve that, he lays emphasis on the following:
• Creation of a psychologically safe space for individuals to get people to bring their authentic selves to work and to foster innovation within the organisation.
• Aligning people processes to the values and behaviours you seek in the culture
• Identifying ways to bring in business as HR
• Keeping communication transparent through the organisation
Problem-solving attitude
Shaikh is a firm believer in OD process and says, “You start by defining the problem, diagnosing the situation along with the key stakeholders and co-creating a solution that addresses the needs of both groups. Representation during diagnosis and solution finding are key to ensure both needs are addressed.”
The mettle of HR leaders faced litmus test during the ultimate crisis of the century, ie Covid. Shaikh believes in the power of co-creation to solve any crisis situation.
He says, “Challenges or crises, I follow the OD process to the T. Any response to a crises should reflect the sentiment of all stakeholders (the leaders as well as the subordinates) and should make both business sense whilst addressing the needs of the people.”
Another dimension to handling crisis is communication. Shaikh explains, “A crisis is the most important time to communicate with people. Everyone wants to be kept in the know. At times, they also need a shoulder to cry on. Creating those forums where information could be disseminated is key along with a safe space for individuals to express their concerns without judgment is important. When I was HR Head during the covid times, these were some of the measures that helped keep us going together.”
